“Please boss can I go to the loo?” Anger over the treatment of DPD workers

Unite, Britain’s biggest union, will stage a demonstration outside DPD’s headquarters in Smethwick, Birmingham in protest over allegations of bullying and the poor treatment of workers at its superhub in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

Workers at one of Europe’s largest parcel sorting facilities have reported that they face the indignity of having to ask their line manager for permission to use the toilet. Some have even alleged that line managers have been refusing their requests to use the bathroom facilities.

Workers also report they have to wait up to an hour after the end of their shift to leave the sorting facility while searches take place. On some occasions people have to wait even longer before they can go home.

Therefore workers remain at their place of work, unable to leave but they don’t get paid for the time onsite.
Unite is calling for an urgent meeting with the company to resolve the problems workers are facing on a daily basis. Furthermore DPD will not commit to recognising Unite on site in line with Unite’s national recognition agreement with the company.

Workers have also alleged:

Bullying by line managers – using threatening behaviour to demand workers work harder and faster

Reports of male security guards searching female workers

Late notice demands on workers to undertake compulsory overtime

Unite regional officer, Mark Pettifer said: “The demonstration outside DPD’s headquarters is in protest over allegations of the poor treatment of workers at one of Europe’s biggest parcel sorting facilities. In 2017 workers in the UK should not have to suffer the indignity of begging to use the bathroom.

“Workers also claim that they often have to wait up to an hour after clocking-off to leave the site while searches take place. On some occasions they have to wait even longer. That means workers remain at their place of work, unable to leave but they don’t get paid.

“Unite exposed these reports two weeks ago but workers are still claiming that they have to ask permission to use the toilet. Unite is staging this protest to demand an urgent meeting to resolve the problems being reported and for management at the Hinckley site to recognise Unite.”